8 home improvement projects perfect for winter

23 February 2024 – 8 Minute Read

A handyman installing a light fixture on a ceiling.

Think winter is unsuitable for home improvement projects? Think again! In fact, it could be the perfect time to make some changes.

We spoke to property expert Angela Kerr, Director and Editor at the HomeOwners Alliance, for advice on making home improvements during winter.

Angela has 15 years of experience in central government, working in a range of areas from European environment negotiations to leading a review of Building Control, ensuring buildings are compliant with government regulations.

As Director and Editor at the HomeOwners Alliance, Angela wants to empower readers with information and expert insights so they can confidently engage professionals, save money, and have a more fulfilling home-owning experience.

The UK winter is renowned for its dreariness, for the cold and wet that batters homes incessantly. It’s not surprising, then, that many people avoid home improvement work during these inclement periods.

They think the weather presents a risk for home improvements. In some cases, that’s true. Improving your home during winter can be challenging – but that’s only true for specific projects.

Thanks to the belief that winter is bad for making home improvements, it can actually be a great time to make some changes. You just need to be certain you’re making the right changes.

Despite that cold, wet weather, there are several ways you can spruce up your home and beat away the winter blues. Here are eight of our favourite ideas for winter home improvements.

1. Paint indoors

When it’s chilly outside, it’s the ideal time to focus on indoor projects, like interior painting. Freshening up your home’s interior walls and ceilings with fresh coats of paint can breathe new life into the building.

Professional paint finishes make a room feel brighter and more inviting. That’s especially true during those darker winter months that are already so dreary.

Winter is a great time for interior painting since there’s next to no humidity. Unlike cold, dry air, humid air can cause all sorts of problems with a paint finish.

With the right conditions, you know the paint will dry in a reliable, uniform fashion. This leads to consistently excellent results.

If you're going ahead with this DIY project, check out our guide for how to paint walls properly, and make sure you're completely prepared.

Of course, if you’re uncomfortable painting a room yourself, you can always hire painters and decorators instead. They can help with both picking a paint colour and applying the paint.

Besides saving you time and effort, hiring a professional also improves your chances of a high-quality finish.

2. Start draughtproofing

While blocking out draughts isn’t the most glamourous home improvement, there’s no doubt it’s a real difference-maker.

Stamping out draughts gives you a cosier, more comfortable home (and even saves you money on your heating bills!).

Take some time to scope out where draughts are entering your property. In most homes, keyholes, letterboxes, front doors, and back doors are the usual culprits!

Once you know what you’re dealing with, install draught excluders to keep those chilly draughts winds out. If you want someone to handle these DIY tasks, hiring a local handyman is a simple solution.

Draught-inducing accidents are possible elsewhere, too. Angela reminds us to “Make sure to inspect your roof. Either from across the street, the bottom of the garden or even with a pair of binoculars. Check for any slipped tiles after windy weather.”

A person installing drywall boards over insulation.

3. Install insulation

When winter rolls around, people tend to fire up their heating systems. These heating systems make homes more comfortable, but they ramp up your heating bills too!

Because of this, winter seems like a prudent time to bump up your home’s energy efficiency. Even minor changes can shrink your energy bills – just the pick-up you need during a drab winter season!

In most homes, insulation is the strongest defence against heat loss. Comprehensive insulation keeps the heat indoors and the cold out, and stops you from leaning on your heating system too hard.

Installing insulation in attics, inside cavity walls, underneath floorboards, and against interior walls is common.

Keep in mind, though, that the spaces you can improve will depend on your home's structure.

You need to tailor your solution to your home's needs. Angela says to “Check your insulation is thick enough – the recommended depth is 270 mm. You can pick up rolls of insulation at your local DIY store. They are easy to roll out so this is an easy job to do yourself.”

You can choose from several types of insulation, including blown-in, rolls, and spray foam insulation. Before deciding, think about your budget and preferences carefully.

If you’re not sure where to begin, arrange an energy performance certificate (EPC) assessment. This is the easiest way to learn how you could improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Even with home improvements, your everyday activities make a difference.

Angela adds that “Insulation and heating will only go so far in stopping damp. You should also make sure you’re appropriately ventilating your home, even in the colder months. Prevent damp build-up by opening windows occasionally and using extractor fans.”

4. Update home décor

Improving your home’s kerb appeal is challenging during winter. The cold, wet weather means making changes to your home’s exterior is challenging at best.

Of course, you won’t have any such problems with your home’s interior. Safely ensconced indoors, you can take the time to update and refresh your home’s décor.

Adding or replacing soft furnishings – throws, blankets, cushions, and so on – can bring about a more welcoming environment. These are minor changes that can perk up a home without breaking the bank.

If you’re struggling to decorate, hiring interior designers and decorators will give you some much-needed inspiration.

5. Replace lighting fixtures

As winter sets in, we get less natural light each day. On the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, we get less than eight hours of daylight!

For this reason, it’s extra important that your home’s light installations are functional and optimised. Make sure you replace any old, broken, or dim lightbulbs with fresh replacements.

Warm hue and natural spectrum lightbulbs give your home’s interior a splash of comforting light. These lights will cheer the space up on those extra dark days.

While you’re making these changes, it’s also a good time to replace your lighting fixtures for something more stylish or practical. Pairing these tasks up makes it that much easier.

A flooring installer fitting hardwood flooring boards over underlay.

6. Install hardwood flooring

Are you ready to change your flooring? If hardwood flooring is your chosen material, winter is the perfect time to make the change.

The distinct lack of humidity lowers the chance of water damage and prevents gapping while boards are being placed.

If you’re applying a finish to your new hardwood flooring, the lower humidity is a double bonus, since the drying takes less time.

You might be able to add hardwood flooring to your home without help, self-installs are possible. For the best possible finish, though, it’s always smart to hire flooring services.

This can be a good opportunity to combine two home improvement projects, since insulation is easily added to homes under flooring. Angela explains that “Installing floor insulation is another way to reduce draughts at ground level. If you have solid concrete flooring – a common feature from the late 1930s - the insulation will be laid on top of this concrete slab.

“Older homes will usually have suspended timber floors, which can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation, held in place by netting between the joists.”

7. Declutter your home

Winter doesn’t afford many opportunities to improve your home’s outdoor spaces. The weather usually just won’t play ball. But that makes it the perfect time to spruce things up indoors.

Part of that home improvement process is removing the things you don’t need anymore. Decluttering might sound like a drag, but it can have an enormous impact on your home.

Take stock of what you have but no longer use and ruthlessly remove the dead weight. Sell, dispose of, or donate anything that you can do without. This will leave you with more room in your home.

If your home still feels cluttered after clearing what you can, it might be time to invest in some more storage. You can install built-in wardrobes and other home storage solutions by hiring a local carpenter.

Just because you no longer need something, it doesn't mean it lacks value altogether. Angela says “If something doesn’t fit get rid of it. Recycle anything damaged beyond repair. Discard anything that you no longer use and take everything you don’t want to your local charity shop.”

8. Install a smart thermostat

Spending more on heating your home is a given during winter. Insulation and draughtproofing your home are both great ways to reduce your costs. Still, they aren’t your only option.

Installing a smart thermostat helps you track what you’re spending. It also gives you more control over when your heating is on and the temperature it’s blasting out.

Making this change will help you keep a comfortable, welcoming home. Crucially, though, it will also boost your home's energy efficiency and cost effectiveness. A double win!

Smart thermostats are generally affordable, and easy to install without professional help. You can follow our guide for connecting a wireless thermostat if you need instruction.

Naturally, these types of tasks aren't for everybody. If you’d prefer to bring someone in, you can always hire an electrician for the job.

A person applying render across drywall boards.